Friction top can



Jan. 27, 1942.

N. P. COURTNEY FRICTION TOP CAN Filed Aug. 26, 1938 INVENTOR M :1 W

BY Zia/4M 7" ATTORN Patented Jan. 27, 1942 FRICTION TOP CAN Nicholas P. Courtney, Englewood, N. J. Application August 26, 1938,.Serial No. 226,848

2 Claims. (111. 220-43) This invention relates to improvements in' friction top cans, and particularly to covers for such cans having permanently attached thereto an opener which may be conveniently used for prying the cover from the can.

In the customary construction of friction top cans, the can top is seamed to the side wall of the can and is depressed below the seam, being provided with an aperture or mouth which is considerably less in diameter than the diameter of the top itself. The cover is designed to fit such aperture and is provided with a circumferential' flange which is only -moderately larger in diameter than the aperture. This leaves an open space or groove at the top of the can, in which dust, dirt, or other foreign matter may c01- lect. Where the can is used for some classes of merchandise it is quiteundesirable that this open groove should exist, since in handling the can after it isfirst opened some of the contents of the groove may drop down into the contents of the can. It has heretofore been proposed to provide a metal disk extending across the top of the cover and diametrically outward to a point which i coincident with the juncture seam of the top and the can body. In other cases it has been proposed to make the can cover with an unusually large flange, which of itself extends over the edge of the can. In these types of can, however, it is very difiicult to open the cover since, to perform its function, the edge of the cover must fit tightly I against the upper side of such seam.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of practical means for permanently fastening a prying instrument or opener to a can cover of the type just referred to having an unusually large flange extending over the edge of the can, the said means being such that the facility of the flange for preventing the ingress of foreign matter within the space above the can top will not be materially affected.

Another object of the present invention is to minimize the cost of forming a can cover which is adapted to receive an opener to be afiixed permanently thereto.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a prying device or can opener arranged in such manner that a prying foot of said device bears downwardly when the prying instrument is operated upon the seam joining the can body to the can top, said seam, of course, being amply strong for receiving such pressure without deformation.

A further object is the provision of a cover and opener assembly having interengaging portions for permanently fastening the opener to the cover, and wherein such. portion on the cover serves as, or as a part of, a portion designed to perform another distinct function, such, for example, as strengthening the fiange'of the cover.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a cover and opener assembly wherein a portion of the .cover adapted to permanently receive the opener is substantially formed by a pressing operation.

Theforegoing and other objects are accomplished by my invention, of which several embodiments are shown purely for the purpose of illustration in the accompanying drawing, the use of these particular illustrative embodiments in no wise limiting the application of my invention solely to such embodiments. In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a can cover and opener according to a preferred embodiment of my invention (hereinafter referred'to as the first embodiment) Fig. 2 is 'a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of a can with the cover and opener illustrated in Fig. 1 in a'closed position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view somewhat similar to J that of Fig. 2, the handle end of the opener, however, being shown in a raised position and the cover being loosened and ready for removal.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the under sideof a can cover according to a further embodiment of my invention (hereinafter referred to as. the second embodiment). t

Fig. dis a plan view of the under side of a can cover and an associated opener according to still another embodiment of my invention (hereinafter referred to as the third embodiment).

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View of the upper portion of a can with the cover and opener illustrated in Fig. 5 in a closed position.

Fig. 7 is a sectional viewsomewhat similar to that of Fig. 6, the handle end of the opener, however, being shown in a raised position and the coverbeing loosened and ready for removal.

Referring to the first embodiment, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the can preferably comprises a canbody, II, a top l2, and a cover l3, which fits tightly within anopening Min the can top. A substantially Vertical inner peripheral flange-l5 of the can 'top defines the said opening I4 and may terminate at its upper end somewhat below the level of the upper edge of the can'body II. The top l2 may extend outwardly from the upper portion of the flange [5 to the can body II and :may then extend upwardly along the inside of the latter and be secured to the upper edge thereof by a body seam IS, in a well understood manner.

The cover l3 may preferably be provided with a depressed central portion I! from which a substantially vertical sealing wall 3 may extend upwardly substantially to the level of the body seam I6. A circumferential flange l9 may extend outwardly from the sealing wall l8 and terminate in a peripheral finishing bead 20, the can and cover preferably being so designed that, when the cover is in a closed position, the seam l6 and finishing bead 20 are preferably in engagement with each other. It will be seen that in a can structure as described and illustrated, there is a circumferential space 21 immediately above the can top [2 and that the flange I9 is of sufficient breadth to completely cover said space and prevent foreign matter from getting into said space.

An opener 22 of a type which may advantageously be employed with a can structure as hereinbefore described, may be formed of flat, rigid metal and may comprise a handle portion 23, which, when the can is closed, may lie within the depressed central portion I! of the cover and may be bent upwardly at its inner end to enable it to be readily grasped when it is desired to open the can. Connected to the handle portion 23 of the opener there may be provided a prying portion 24 comprising a hook 25 and a camming surface 26. When it is desired to open the can, the handle portion 23 is lifted upwardly to or toward a vertical position, as indicated in Fig. 3, whereupon the end of the hook 25 presses upwardly against the under side of the flange I9, while the camming surface 26 bears downwardly against the can top l2, the hook 25 and said camming surface thus coacting to lift or loosen the cover from within the opening l4 in the can top.

As may best be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the prying portion 24 of the opener extends through an opening 21 which may be cut or otherwise formed in the flange l9 whereby the opener, While of necessity being operated from above the cover, nevertheless, by extending through said opening 21,.may function underneath the cover to lift it. It will also be observed that when the can is closed and the opener is in its inoperative position with its handle portion within the depressed central portion ll of the cover, a portion of the opener (the prying portion 24 in the embodiment being described) extends across and substantially closes the opening 21 so that the effectiveness of the flange I9 is maintained for substantially preventing foreign matter from getting into the circumferential space 2 I.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the flange l9 of the can cover may be provided with an inverted channel-shaped bead 28 bordering the upper limit of the sealing wall l8 and that the flange material may continue outwardly from the channel 28 to form a channel 29, the open portion of which may face upwardly, the two of said channels together being S-shaped in cross-section. The saidchannels, which are hereinafter variously referred to separately and collectively as a U-shaped bead, an inverted U-shaped bead, an S-shaped bead, and a channel-shaped bead, may preferably extend completely around the cover thus affording a substantial measure of rigidity and strength to the flange l9. In addition to such advantage, however, and probably more important, one or more of said beads serve as a cover or flange portion to which the opener 22 may be permanently secured.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be observed that both the beads or channels 28 and 29 lie substantially within the hook 25 of the opener and that the opener may also be provided with a tongue or keeper 30 struck downwardly from the opener material so that it may engage the inside of the sealing wall l8 when the opener is in inoperative position, and may engage the upper surface of the flange l9 when in a vertical or operative position, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby to keep the opener firmly attached to the can cover at all times.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that as, the opener is operated, not only does the camming surface 26 bear down upon the can top I2, but the extremity of the hook 25, which, in inoperative position may lie below and outside of the channel 28, nevertheless, when the opener is rotated to open the can, passes into said channel 28 and is prevented from passing out of said channel by the keeper 30. While the channel 28 alone could possibly suffice as a fastening portion to be engaged by the hook 25, nevertheless it is preferable to include in the structure also the channel 29 which assures adequate strength in the structure as a foundation for the aflixation of the opener, and in addition, the lower surface of the material forming the channel 29 serves as a smooth surface upon which the opener may ride as it is being operated.

It will be observed that a very efiective foundation is provided for mounting the opener, according to the present invention, without involving the necessity of any coiling or rolling of the material, thus avoiding the expense incidental to such a coiling or rollingoperation in manufacturing the can covers.

According to the present invention the flange material, except at the finishing bead 20, is not at any point turned back upon itself to an extent which requires a coiling or rolling operation. The various beads already described which serve as a foundation upon which the opener may be secured, may be formed merely by a single press- 1 ing operation, and obviously the opening 21 in the flange l9 may be formed in the same operation by the inclusion of a cutter in the die, or, of course, the said opening may be formed by a separate cutting operation if desired.

A channel-shaped bead is not only more economically formed than a rolled bead but it is substantially stronger than a rolled bead for mounting an opener at one side of a recess or opening in a can cover flange. Moreover, a channel-shaped bead may be economically formed inwardly of the periphery of the can cover, irrespective of any openings or recesses in the cover, while a rolled bead, as a practical matter, may be formed only by rolling back a free edge of material. Where a rolled bead is provided along a side of such an opening, it would ordinarily be formed of material, partly cut away from the flange and rolled back upon itself to form the opening, and such a bead, obviously, would be only as long as the said opening and would have unrolled or raw edges of flange material adjacent each end thereof, which raw edges would have no backing or strengthening means adjacent thereto. Therefore, upon the application of lifting force to such a rolled bead, to open the can, the flange material at each end of the head would easily tear as a result of which the bead would no longer be sufficiently rigid to opener is mounted. This bead may extend substantially beyond each end of the opening, thus backing and strengthening the latter and efi'ectually preventing tearing of the flange material when the lifting force of the opener is applied thereto. Such a bead, preferably, may be extended circumferentially completely about the flange thus enhancing the strength of the latter.

The second embodiment, illustrated in Fig, 4, differs from the first embodiment chiefly in that an elongated depression or channel 3| is extended about only a limited portion of the flange I9 at a point adjacent the opening 21. Said depression, formed in the flange material, gives to the latter at the point where the opener is to be fastened, a cross-section similar to that shown at the left side of Fig. 2.- In the second embodiment, the depression 3| does not func tion as a circumferential stiffening bead for strengthening the entire flange l9. ever, serve to substantially strengthen the flange material at the point where the opening is attached, which is the point that receives the greatest stresses in operation.

The third embodiment, illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive, differs from the first embodiment chiefly in the fact that, instead of having an opening 21 formed in the flange I9, a cutaway portion 32 is provided constituting an open space which interrupts the finishing bead 20 of the flange l9, and in that the prying portion 24 of the opener is sufficiently large that when the opener is in inoperative position said portion 24 may extend substantially to the outer edge of the flange l9 and may rest upon the body seam I6 when the can is closed, thus substantially closing the cutaway portion 32. It will be seen that the opener of the third embodiment is the same in principle as the openers of the other embodiments, the various parts merely being differently proportioned to accommodate the opener to the different can structure and to cause the prying foot of the opener to press downwardly upon the relatively strong seam [6 when the opener is operated.

It will be understood that the inventive prin- It does, how- 7 ciples hereinbefore described with reference to three illustrative embodiments may, nevertheless, be variously applied in other ways and to other types of can structures without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A can top and cover therefor comprising a top member having its outer periphery seamed to the top edge of the can body, said member being depressed inwardly with respect to said seam and having an inturned portion on its inner periphery defining an opening, a cover for said opening having a plug portion frictionally engaged in said opening and a peripheral flange extending outwardly from the plug portion a" distance to substantially cover the top member when the cover is in operative position, and a radially positioned lever opener permanently fastened to said cover; the said flange having a cut-away portion having its inner limit extending substantially parallel to and adjacent the heel of said flange and a channel-shaped bead extending between and substantially parallel to and adjacent said heel and said inner limit of the cut-away portion; and the said opener comprising an elongated prying implement formed in one piece, the inner end portion of said implement functioning as a handle and the outer end portion thereof being reversely bent, forming a convexly curved end extension having its free end terminating under said bead and slightly inwardly thereof, the lower surface of said curved portion being positioned in operative contact with said depressed top, said prying implement having an intermediate portion struck therefrom forming a tongue adapted to engage the other side of said head to prevent detachment of the implement from the bead but permitting said implement to be pivoted about said head in a radial plane whereby to cause the said extension to bear downwardly upon the can top and said opener to bear upwardly upon the cover, at the point of attachment thereto, to open the can.

2. A can top and cover therefor according to claim 1, the bent portion of the outer end of the prying implement extending outwardly to a point above the seam at the juncture of the can body portion and the depressed top of the can and adapted to press downwardly upon said seam when the opener is operated to open the can.

NICHOLAS P. COURTNEY. 

